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kladky
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12 Jan 2012, 5:17 pm

I would like to initiate a discussion based on Proverb 3:5-

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding." (NIV)

Given the number of people who believe you must study the Bible on your own to truly understand/appreciate it, how can we reconcile this verse? Are not such ones relying on "their own understanding?"



MCalavera
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12 Jan 2012, 6:28 pm

Depends.

If you believe the Bible is from God, then no, regardless of all the contradictions and paradoxes that come with it.



thedaywalker
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13 Jan 2012, 11:50 am

the bible isn't made to have people act good it is made to make people believe there doing the right thing when they do what some priests tells them to do. this verse is just a remanant of the origanal mesage of jezus left in there to confuse the reader.



CrinklyCrustacean
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13 Jan 2012, 6:11 pm

thedaywalker wrote:
the bible isn't made to have people act good it is made to make people believe there doing the right thing when they do what some priests tells them to do. this verse is just a remanant of the origanal mesage of jezus left in there to confuse the reader.

Proverbs is in the Old Testament. Jesus is in the New Testament.



Fnord
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13 Jan 2012, 8:23 pm

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding." (NIV)

Translation: You are too stupid to think for yourself, so you need someone else to tell you what to do.



01001011
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13 Jan 2012, 10:26 pm

kladky wrote:
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding." (NIV)


Read: The bible is just a bunch of nonsense but you are not expected to study it rationally.



cw10
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13 Jan 2012, 10:41 pm

Most, if not all religious texts are merely the science of humanity.
Think of them as trying to make logical sense out of government.



kxmode
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13 Jan 2012, 11:23 pm

kladky wrote:
I would like to initiate a discussion based on Proverb 3:5-

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding." (NIV)

Given the number of people who believe you must study the Bible on your own to truly understand/appreciate it, how can we reconcile this verse? Are not such ones relying on "their own understanding?"


I would like to offer this comment to counter all the negative opinions of God and the Bible.

Before reading any bible make sure it is at least an accurate translation. Case in point:

Image

When many Christians see LORD they automatically believe the Bible is talking about Jesus, but this scripture in the original Hebrew tells us to "trust in Jehovah" (or "trust in Yahweh"). There is a bible that restores God's personal name. You may download it for free.

Now that Jehovah (or Yahweh) has been established as WHO you should trust, how does someone trust in Jehovah?

The following is taken from the September 2003 Watchtower, page 12.

Quote:
Those are beautiful, reassuring words. Surely no one in all the universe is more trustworthy than our beloved heavenly Father. Nevertheless, it is easier to read those words in Proverbs than to put them into practice.

Many have mistaken ideas about what it means to trust in Jehovah. Some think of such trust merely as a feeling, a kind of blissful emotion that should well up naturally in the heart. Others seem to believe that trusting in God means that we can expect him to shield us from every difficulty, to solve our every problem, to make every daily challenge turn out just as we hope—and right away! But such notions are unfounded. Trust is much more than a mere feeling, and it is not unrealistic. In adults, trust involves making conscious, reasoned decisions.

Note again what Proverbs 3:5 says. It contrasts trusting in Jehovah with leaning on our own understanding, suggesting that we cannot do both. Does that mean that we are not allowed to use our powers of understanding? No, for Jehovah, who gave us those powers, expects us to use them in serving him. (Romans 12:1) But on what do we lean, or depend? If our thinking fails to harmonize with Jehovah’s, do we accept his wisdom for what it is—infinitely superior to ours? (Isaiah 55:8, 9) To trust in Jehovah means to let his thinking guide our own.

To illustrate: Think of a small child sitting in the backseat of a car, with his parents in front. His father is at the wheel. When difficulties arise during the journey—a question about the proper route or perhaps a problem with the weather or the condition of the road—how does an obedient, trusting child react? Does he shout directions from the backseat, telling his father how to handle the car? Does he question his parents’ decisions or resist when they remind him to stay buckled up in his seat? No, he naturally trusts his parents to handle such matters, imperfect though they are. In Jehovah, we have a perfect Father. Should we not trust in him implicitly, especially when we face challenging situations?—Isaiah 30:21.


I hope this answered your question.


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Last edited by kxmode on 14 Jan 2012, 3:25 am, edited 5 times in total.

Fnord
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13 Jan 2012, 11:36 pm

cw10 wrote:
Most, if not all religious texts are merely the science of humanity.
Think of them as trying to make logical sense out of government.

I think of them as word salad.



cw10
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14 Jan 2012, 12:06 am

Fnord wrote:
cw10 wrote:
Most, if not all religious texts are merely the science of humanity.
Think of them as trying to make logical sense out of government.

I think of them as word salad.


You'd probably think of Poe as word salad. But as the name implies he was quite the Poet.



Saturn
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14 Jan 2012, 12:34 pm

kladky wrote:
I would like to initiate a discussion based on Proverb 3:5-

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding." (NIV)

Given the number of people who believe you must study the Bible on your own to truly understand/appreciate it, how can we reconcile this verse? Are not such ones relying on "their own understanding?"


I think you would have to be deeply indoctrinated (brainwashed) to accept this statement and only slightly less indoctrinated to question it conditionally, as you are doing. But perhaps you are at least heading in the direction away from indoctrination and to leaning on your own understanding by posing the question. I speak from some experience of a previously indoctrinated state and I know how stubborn such beliefs can be.



Fnord
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14 Jan 2012, 12:47 pm

cw10 wrote:
Fnord wrote:
cw10 wrote:
Most, if not all religious texts are merely the science of humanity. Think of them as trying to make logical sense out of government.
I think of them as word salad.
You'd probably think of Poe as word salad. But as the name implies he was quite the Poet.

Wrong again, kid.

Edgar Allan Poe was a genius. The writers of the Bible couldn't even keep their facts straight.


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cw10
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14 Jan 2012, 2:28 pm

Fnord wrote:
cw10 wrote:
Fnord wrote:
cw10 wrote:
Most, if not all religious texts are merely the science of humanity. Think of them as trying to make logical sense out of government.
I think of them as word salad.
You'd probably think of Poe as word salad. But as the name implies he was quite the Poet.

Wrong again, kid.

Edgar Allan Poe was a genius. The writers of the Bible couldn't even keep their facts straight.


So you do agree with my previous statement then. That's what I thought. :)



Fnord
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14 Jan 2012, 4:25 pm

cw10 wrote:
Fnord wrote:
cw10 wrote:
Fnord wrote:
cw10 wrote:
Most, if not all religious texts are merely the science of humanity. Think of them as trying to make logical sense out of government.
I think of them as word salad.
You'd probably think of Poe as word salad. But as the name implies he was quite the Poet.
Wrong again, kid. Edgar Allan Poe was a genius. The writers of the Bible couldn't even keep their facts straight.
So you do agree with my previous statement then. That's what I thought. :)

I see no such agreement.



cw10
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15 Jan 2012, 12:40 am

Fnord wrote:
cw10 wrote:
Fnord wrote:
cw10 wrote:
Fnord wrote:
cw10 wrote:
Most, if not all religious texts are merely the science of humanity. Think of them as trying to make logical sense out of government.
I think of them as word salad.
You'd probably think of Poe as word salad. But as the name implies he was quite the Poet.
Wrong again, kid. Edgar Allan Poe was a genius. The writers of the Bible couldn't even keep their facts straight.
So you do agree with my previous statement then. That's what I thought. :)

I see no such agreement.


Now this is word salad.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wkZfq86kgY[/youtube]

What you're talking about is philosophy. I fail to see the comparison.



kxmode
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15 Jan 2012, 1:25 am

cw10 wrote:
Now this is word salad.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wkZfq86kgY[/youtube]


Actually the medical term for that disorder is called Aphasia.